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Date: December 27, 2022 04:05PM
and some may become male depending on hormonal levels in the womb.
Sorry, Mormons and Fundies. Sex isn't binary -- either in the body or the brain.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK222286/Sex Begins in the Womb
ABSTRACT
Sex differences of importance to health and human disease occur throughout the life span, although the specific expression of these differences varies at different stages of life. Some differences originate in events occurring in the intrauterine environment, where developmental processes differentially organize tissues for later activation in the male or female. In the prenatal period, sex determination and differentiation occur in a series of sequential processes governed by genetic and environmental factors. During the pubertal period, behavioral and hormonal changes manifest the secondary sexual characteristics that reinforce the sexual identity of the individual through adolescence and into adulthood. Hormonal events occurring in puberty lay a framework for biological differences that persist through life and that contribute to variable onset and progression of disease in males and females. It is important to study sex differences at all stages of the life cycle, relying on animal models of disease and including sex as a variable in basic and clinical research designs.
All human individuals—whether they have an XX, an XY, or an atypical sex chromosome combination—begin development from the same starting point. During early development the gonads of the fetus remain undifferentiated; that is, all fetal genitalia are the same and are phenotypically female. After approximately 6 to 7 weeks of gestation, however, the expression of a gene on the Y chromosome induces changes that result in the development of the testes. Thus, this gene is singularly important in inducing testis development. The production of testosterone at about 9 weeks of gestation results in the development of the reproductive tract and the masculinization (the normal development of male sex characteristics) of the brain and genitalia. In contrast to the role of the fetal testis in differentiation of a male genital tract and external genitalia in utero, fetal ovarian secretions are not required for female sex differentiation. As these details point out, the basic differences between the sexes begin in the womb, and this chapter examines how sex differences develop and change across the lifetime. The committee examined both normal and abnormal routes of development that lead individuals to become males and females and the changes during childhood, reproductive adulthood, and the later stages of life.
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I had a female college friend with MRKH
https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/patient-information/conditions-treated-a-to-z/mayer-rokitansky-kuster-hauser-mrkh-syndromeWhat Is Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) Syndrome?
Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) Syndrome is a rare congenital disorder that affects the female reproductive system. This condition is characterized by an underdeveloped or nonexistent uterus and vagina, though women still do have normally-functioning ovaries and a female chromosome pattern. It occurs during fetal development and is present in approximately 1 in every 4,500 females at birth.
External genitalia and secondary sexual characteristics, like pubic hair and breasts, develop normally. However, they typically do not experience menstrual cycles since their reproductive organs are absent or compromised.
Due to an underdeveloped or absent uterus and vagina, women with the condition suffer from Uterine Factor Infertility (UFI). UFI is a previously irreversible form of female infertility that affects as many as 5 percent of reproductive-aged women worldwide. A person with UFI cannot carry a pregnancy either because she was born without a uterus, has had the organ surgically removed, or has a uterus that does not function properly.
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This is much more common than you might think, and most girls who have it don't even know until they begin to question why they don't have periods.
https://www.issm.info/sexual-health-qa/what-is-complete-androgen-insensitivity-syndrome-caisComplete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS) is a genetic condition in which a child is genetically male, but develops female sex characteristics. CAIS is a disorder of sex development (DSD).
When an egg cell is fertilized by a sperm cell, each parent contributes a sex chromosome. These chromosomes determine whether a baby is a girl or a boy. Females have two X chromosomes (XX). Males have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome (XY).
Genes, located on chromosomes, contain genetic material that provide a “road map” for how the child will develop.
CAIS occurs when there is a problem with one of the genes on the X chromosome. This specific gene is called an androgen receptor gene. It governs how a developing fetus responds to androgens – hormones that bring about male characteristics.
A child with CAIS has a genetic makeup of XY. Because the Y chromosome is present, the child is born with testes, just like a boy, although the testes are undescended (located inside the abdomen). But because of the defective gene on the X chromosome, other male characteristics can’t develop, so the child resembles a girl.
Most children with CAIS are raised as females. They usually have their testes surgically removed because undescended testes can become cancerous later on. They may need treatment to develop the vagina. They develop breasts but do not have menstrual periods and may have very little pubic and/or underarm hair. They may also need to take estrogen, a female hormone, for the rest of their lives.
CAIS should not be confused with partial androgen insensitivity syndrome (PAIS). Children with PAIS can respond to androgens to some degree, but not enough to develop fully into a male or female. As a result, they have both male and female physical characteristics.